Progress on HHS bill

Conferees have worked their way through adoption of several components to the omnibus health and human services finance bill (HF927/ SF760*). But more work is planned on the larger financial components of the bill. Both the House and the Senate versions plan to cut $1.6 billion from projected General Fund spending for the 2012-2013 biennium.

Rep. Jim Abeler (R-Anoka), who chairs the House Health and Human Services Finance Committee, said he plans to reconvene the committee early next week for a public hearing on the Consumer Health Opportunities and Innovative Care Excellence (CHOICE) flexibility and funding Medicaid reform initiative, which outlines a $300 million federal global Medicaid waiver included in the House bill. Department of Human Services staff is expected to offer technical advice on the CHOICE initiative and the public is invited to provide testimony as well, Abeler said.

In a series of four meetings over the last week, conferees adopted language in several articles of the bills related to children and family services, the Department of Health, health licensing fees, continuing care, redesigning service delivery and chemical and mental health. Contained in those articles is language adopted regarding reforms to components of the Minnesota Family Investment Program, along with modified language related to health care homes, care coordination methods and the human services and public assistance programs for the White Earth Band of Ojibwe.

Conferees also agreed to adopt a Senate provision related to prohibition of the use of state funds in planning or implementation of the federal health care legislation known as the “Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.” The language also states that no provisions of the act may be implemented, until its constitutionality of the act has been affirmed by the U. S. Supreme Court.